Slidable seat



Jan. 22, 1935. H, VAN DEL-:sT

SLIDABLE SEAT Filed Dec. 22, 1952 Patented Jan. 22, 1935 1,988,638 SLIDABLE salirV .ri 3

.Henry Van Deest, vFreeport;` assignorrftoff A' it Henney Motor Company, Freeport; Ill., afcor- Y poration of Delaware Application vD et'zelnber 22, 1932,' Serial l` 648x116 I v nThis invention relates toa slidable seat adapted for a variety of purposes, but especially designed and intended for use in vehicles. For example, seats of this type have been used in hearses where it is'desired` to have the two rseats slidable for-i ward to provide clearance for the'table movable into 'and out *ofi the hearse for sideservicing. Furthermore, such seats have also been used in automobiles, especially; in thecoach `type as a 102 matter'of convenience for rear4 seat :passengers leaving or entering the car. 1 The principal object of my invention consists providing simple and effectivemeans for locking the seat in its normal position and2 in such a way that it requires little eiortito unlock the samexwhen it is to bemoved. A special fea.- ture is thevoombining of'a handle-on theback of the seat for moving it back andfforth," and a' latch operating plunger whose operating knobV projects from one end of the handle `for;convenient operation by the thumb as the yhandle is gripped for sliding thevseat;l .3' nl The invention is illustrated .in .the accompanying drawing, in whichi 1.. I Figure 1 is. a: phantom side view -l of aslidable seat illustratingmy invention, and y 'f uf Fig.2 is a `phantomzrear view furth r illustrat-v ing my invention. i Y

The slidable seat designated generally bythe reference numeral hasfthe bottom 11 thereof supported/cna sliding structure 12 to permit movement forwardly fromthe normal position shown in Figure The slide'structure12 may be of .any suitable form, although I prefer the one disclosed in` my copending application Serial No. 600,180, led'MarchvZl, 1932, the same being of a rollerless type. For/the present purposes, it will suffice to state that front'and rear crossmembers 13 and 14 hold a pair of channel-shaped guides 15 in parallel relation andsuitably xed to the floor'of the vehicle, to slidablyv receive therein the outwardly projecting longitudinal flanges of a" pair of slides 16 of angular crosssectionsuitably'supported on'the seat bottom 1l as by members 17. As described in the other 1' application, strips of materiah 'such as formica, having ahardsmooth surface are mounted on the top and bottom surfaces of the flanges `on the slides '16, and similar strips are mountedonthe guides 15' for sliding contact therewith .to make theseat Vslide smoothly and easily yand without noise, eventhough'noi lubricant is used;.

yThe seatis limited 4in itsforward movement by a bracket or keeper plate 18 on which the seat 55 is also adapted to be marsans win soon-appear.

The bracket 18, is riveted;4 orv A'otherwise suitably securedtothe' front f cross-member 13; Another bracket ,or keeper plate 1 9,1fidentical in fornito the bracketl, buty extending-inthe; opposite direction, v is secured onfthe, rear 'f cross :member .14 and servesto,4 limit rearward movement of the seat besides' beingadapted to have the 'seat locked thereomas will 'soon-fappear.' AThe two stop or keeper brackets yhave ,forked inner ends, as indicated' at'j20,:to receive a latch^21v therein'provided 10 on` theflower end of af plunger. 22 'slidable 'up -and down in a;guide.,23 secured to the seat bottomat the-backfof the/seat.V A cross-pin 24 on the 'latch 21 is arranged to enter detent recesses 25 provided therefor on ythe lowersidesof the forked portions 15 of:.the1 brackets',to lock the seat in either of its two limitpositions.; #Ani actuating rod V26 extends upwardly from therplunger`22 out ofthe guide 23 and has a coiled`-c0mpressionspring 27 held in place thereon by means of a washer 2 8V and 2,9

pression n suncienteto-urgei the plunger `22 up wardly, whereby. to holdthe cross-,pin 24 seated in the recessf25;ofqeither bracket. WhenV the cross-.pin isfdisengagedzfrom the 'recess-fbyja downward=-movementofjthe plunger y22 against pressed as .thecross-pnridesdown the inclined surface untilthe pin arrives' at therecess, where- 40 upon the spring causes theplunger to moveup'- wardly to engage the prin the recess.` f l 1t will-now be observed that the guide23 with the plunger 22 therein, together with the actuating rod k26 and'springy 27, is housed-inside the 45 back of the seat for neatness in appearance, and incidentallynto avoid having anything come in contactl with the moving parts .and `damaging the same.v A hollow handle 3l, having an attachment plate 32 suitably formedk integral therewith 59 providing- `for hand room at 3 3, is suitably securedl to the back of the seat far enough down to be in approximately thelsameplane withthe center of gravity ofthe seat so that one may use the handle to move the seat back and forth with minimum effort, there being no tendency for the seat to cock forward or backward when it is slid forwardly or rearwardly. 'I'he upper end of the rod 26 is bent rearwardly, as at 34, to enter the lower end of the handle 31, and is bent upwardly, as at 35, for connection with a plunger 36 slid.- ably received in the upper end of the handle and having a knob 37 on-the upper end thereof projectingffrom the handle for operation by thumb pressure. In this way, one may release the latch 2l by depression of the knob 37 with the thumb as the handle 31 is gripped to slide the seat in either direction. Once the latch is released the seat can the p artsmountedonthe back of the seat are all with the excption'offthe handle concealed inside be slid freely, and when it arrives at the limit'of its movement the latch automatically locks in the detent recess of the bracket at that end of the travel. It is manifest that everything but fthe handle and the release knob is concealed, so vthat the seat presents a neat and attractive appearance. The fact that the seat can be unlocked and slid withone' hand avoids the objections inherent' in other constructions with which I am familiar, where .the seat had to be unlockedwith one v*hand and vmoved simultaneously with the ctherfUsuallyfin such cases, aside from'the awkwardness of such operation, 'there was ,the objection'that the release device wasso located thatone could not bet holdk of the seat at the proper place to move it most conveniently. By loi cating 'the handle' andY the ,releaseA at vonepoint'fin the'proper relation to the center of gravity'those objections are entirely avoided and the seat-can be slid with anabsolute minimum expenditure ofeifort;A `A` Y Itis believed the foregoing descriptionconveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn-with a Vview tocovering'all legitimate modifications and adaptations.4 1 Iclaim: Y v K 1`. A deviceof the class describedfcmprising a seat having a rigid back,mea'ns slidably supporting the-'seat for back'and forth movement,y keeper means for holdingthe seat inffone or more selected-positions," a. latchfor engagement with f the l'keeper means slidably mounted for up and down movement on the back of the seat, the same having an' actuating rod extending upwardly therefrom,"and va handle on the'iback of the seat forsliding thesame, the actuatingjrod having its upper end disposed to permit single Vhanded unlocking and sliding of the seat. Y Y y 2.-A Edevice of the classdescribed, comprising a seat having a rigid back,l means slidablysupporting the "seat for back and forth movement, keeper means for holding lthe seatin one ormore vselected positions, `va latch for engagement with 4they keeper means slidably mounted for up and downmovement'on the back of the; seat, spring' means normally urging said latch in onedire'ction toward lockedI position, and an actuating rod extending upwardlyfrom the latch along the back of `-`the seat and arranged to be moved in 'the other direction-'by Ihand against the action of said -sp'ring'means torelea'se the latch.

3'. A deviceof the class described, comprising a 4sea'thaving a rigid back, means slidably supporting the 'seat for back and forth movement, keeper 'means' for holding the seat in one or more selected positions, aflatch for engagement with the keeper means slidably mounted for upand d own movement on the back of the seat, spring means normally urging said latch in one direction toward lockedk position, an actuating rod-extending up- -wardly from'the latch along the back of the seat and arranged to be moved in the other direction by hand against the action of said spring means to releasethe latch, and a handle on the back of the seat at the upper end of said rod to permit single handed unlocking and sliding of the seat.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein the handle is hollow and disposed in a substantially vertical plane and whereinthe upper end of ,said rod is extended throughuthe handle and projects from the upperend of the latter so as topermit thumb depression of the rod and grasping of the handle, both by one hand.

51A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein the back fof the seat, the handle being hollow and `the upper end of -the rod being bent rearwardly to project into the handle and being bent upward- 1y for extension through the handle and projecting from the upper end thereof, whereby to permit thumb depression" of. theV rodwhile the handle'is grasped',` bthzoperations being adapted to be performedv by the same hand.

6. 4A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the keeper means comprises a'pair of brackets at opposite limits vof the travel of the seat having detent 'recesses providedntherein, the latch having a cross-pin to engage'in the-recesses, saidbrackets having inclined surfacesleading toward said recesses with the entry. ends of said surfaces 'disposed so that the cross-.pin comes Vinto engagement'therewithA and rides on the surfaces against the action of the spring means for engagement in the recesses. i

7. A deviceas set forth Vin claim 2 wherein the keeper means comprises a *pair` of brackets disposed-at the ilimits of'travel of the seat, said bracketsi-v having -forked portions projecting towardl eachother parallel tofthe directionof travel of theseatj the latch'being arranged to enter said forked portionsl and having a cross-pin adapted to enter detent recesses `provided in said portions,said "portions .being formed with inclined surfaces extending toward the recesses, whereby the cross-'piniis 'arranged upon engage- Ament with said-surfaces to ride lonthef'same againstthelactionof thetspring. means for engagement in the recesses. k8. A device ofthe class described,' comprising a seat, a fixed-support, i means supporting the seat on said'xed supportfor movement through a predetermined travel,.keeper means secured to said fixed"support,wlatch means secured to the seat and normally engaginglthe keeper means for locking the seat detachablyin position, ar handle on'the seat by means of which the seat is adapted to be moved-'when the latch' 4means is released from the keeper means, said handle being of `hollow construction, and a latch actuating member extendingthrough i-thehandle and projecting therefrom so as to permit manual operation thereof by one and the samehand'grasping the handle.

9. A device of the class described, comprising aseat, a-xed support, means for supporting the seat on said fixed support for movement through a predetermined travel, keeper means secured to said fixed support, .latch means secured to the seatand normally" engaging the keeper vmeans for locking .theseat detachably. in position, a handle on the seat byjmeans of ,which the seat is adapted toebe moved when the latchmeans is released from the keeper means, said handle having a longitudinal vpassage-provided therein,'and a latch actuatingl member. extending through said passage in the handleY and projecting fromoneend thereof so as to permit thumb operation of the latch and movement of the seat by means of the handle, both by one hand.

10. In a slidable seat having a rigid back, a xed support, means slidably supporting the seat on said xed support for back and forth movement, keeper means secured to said xed support, latch means secured to the seat and normally engaging the keeper means for detachably locking the seatl in an adjusted position, a latch actuating member extending upwardly from the latch along the back of the seat, and a handle mounted on the back of the seat in approximately the same horizontal plane as the center of gravity of the seat whereby to permit easy movement of the seat back and forth by pull and push movement of the handle, said handle being also disposed adjacent the upper end of the actuating member whereby to permit operation of the latch by the same hand grasping the handle.

HENRY VAN DEEST. 

